What If: The Pacers Acquire Darren Collison

After seeing the rumors when I woke up this morning on the possibility of the Pacers trading the #10 pick to the Hornets for Darren Collison, I just had to write up an article about it, so here we go.

The Pacers desperately are in need for a starting point guard, and if they were to acquire Collison that would fill that need completely. Not only would he bring a young player that could start for many years to come, but they would be trading for a young player that put up Chris Paul like numbers last season while filling in for the injured star. Collison brings a pass first mentality, with an uncanny ability to score the ball at will.



I've noticed a few things about him that I like, and I'm going to try to break his game down to the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Offensive

Like I stated earlier, one of Collison's biggest attributes is his ability to pass the ball. During his rookie season, Collison put up the numbers of 12.4 PPG, and 5.7 APG, but those numbers really don't give him justice on how well he played. Let me take you through some game logs here.

3/1 vs. Spurs
10 points, 15 assists, 5 rebounds.

3/3 vs. Grizzlies
17 points, 14 assists, 5 steals.

3/5 vs. Spurs
32 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds.

3/8 vs. Warriors
16 points, 20 assists, 3 steals.



Those are just a few of his games when he was starting for the injured Chris Paul, and that shows you waht he can bring to the court. Two games in particular, show what he can do. Against he Warriors he showed that he could pass the ball exceptionally well, but then you look at the 3/5 game against San Antonio, and he put up 32 points against a very good defensive team, that shows he can put the ball in the bucket as well.

Basically the point I was making with those stats, is that he brings a perfect balance of what the Pacers need. Last season they had guys that could do one or the other, but not both. Ford was a scoring guard who you could always mark up for double figure points, but also for just a couple assists. Watson on the other hand could put up the assist numbers, but he wasn't a very effective scorer.

All that being said, I think this proves that Darren Collison would be a perfect fit for the Indiana Pacers. Only giving up the #10 pick for him would be a great deal for us, and I think would make us a playoff team assuming we can stay healthy.

Defensive

There isn't really a ton I can talk about him defensive, but again some of those stats that I put in up there show that he is very good at reading the passing lanes, and he also has quick hands. Basically if you don't pay attention to where your dribbling or passing the ball, you can expect Darren Collison to take it from you. Also, he's very quick with his feet, so he's able to stay in front of even the best point guards in the NBA, something the Pacers haven't had in their point guard for a long time. That's about all I know to put about his defense.

Thoughts?

A Few Point Guard Options for the Indiana Pacers

There are three ways that the Indiana Pacers could pick up their starting point guard for this season....free agency, trades, or the draft, and I'm going to list some of the options from all of those ways to get a PG.
[B]
Getting a Point Guard Through the Draft[/B]

There are two options that I see in the NBA Draft this season, and unfortunately one isn't John Wall...

[B]1. Eric Bledsoe[/B]

The 6'1" guard out of Kentucky is my personal favorite option in the draft for the Pacers. While he didn't see a whole lot of point guard in action, thanks to playing behind John Wall, he did play the position in high school, and he's also been working very hard on getting better at the point through his pre-draft workouts.

During his one year at UK, he averaged 11.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 2.9 APG, and 1.4 SPG. He would bring a good passing point guard, who doesn't always think about shooting the ball, and also a guy who could body up with other point guards because he's not undersized like most of the Pacers' recent point guards have been. Not only is he a good passer, but he is also a very solid shooter, which you have to be if your going to play for the Pacers.

Overall he would make a very good fit in Indiana with his ability to get into the lane and then kick out for an open jumper, or finish at the bucket himself.

[B]2. Avery Bradley[/B]

Bradley also played just one year of college, and in that one season, he averaged 11.6 PPG, 2.1 APG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.3 SPG. He's a very talented guard, but he just doesn't have quite the sense of the point guard position that Bledsoe has....or at least that I've seen.

He's a decent defender, but is a little bit slow moving his feet, and in that NBA that will either end up in cheap fouls, or it will end up in his man getting easy looks at the bucket. He's also a decent three point shooter, and he can get to the bucket as well, but his overall game just doesn't quite fit what the Pacers are needing right now.

Now I'm going to shift the focus to the free agency aspect of getting a point guard.

[B]1. Nate Robinson[/B]

Robinson would be a very interesting pickup for the Indiana Pacers. I'm not sure if he would be a great option because he's another one of those PG's that love to shoot the ball, but at the same time, throughout his NBA career he has proven to be a playmaker for his teammates as well.

He is a very good shooter, and gets to the bucket almost at will. Another thing that the Pacers would get if they were to sign him is the highflyer aspect of his game, something that the city of Indianapolis hasn't had since Fred Jones quite a few years ago.

Maybe that's just me hoping for something, but Nate Robinson is one possibility.

[B]2. Jordan Farmar[/B]

Farmar has been taking a lot of hate lately, but he would fit in with the Pacers very well. He's got a good shot, and while he isn't the best defender, he does have a good basketball IQ, which helps him make up for it.

Farmar is a pass first point guard, but does put up some very bad shots....something that the Pacers don't need, but he makes up for it by making good passes, and also hitting the open shots that he takes. He wouldn't be as expensive as Robinson, but would be a very solid option to come in and start for a season in Indy if they decided to wait until next years draft to get their point guard.

And last but not least, let's talk about trading for a starting point guard!

[B]1. Tony Parker[/B]

There's really only one option on the trade market, and that would be Tony Parker. There have already been rumors of the Pacers acquiring Parker for a package deal involving Troy Murphy, Brandon Rush, and the #10 overall pick in the draft.

Parker would be able to step right in and be a star player in Indiana, but the question for the Pacers is, would they be able to sign him to a long-term extension? Or would he just walk after one season, and they would have given up the two players and the pick for a one-year rental.

Overall the Parker trade would be a perfect fit for the Pacers, but that one snag of the contract could ruin the whole situation. If Parker were to come to Indy though, the Pacers would definitely be a playoff team, although they still wouldn't have all the necessary pieces to be a Finals contender.

Thoughts?